Construction projects will slow down during the coronavirus outbreak and equipment manufacturers can expect their sales to decline. However, suppliers can use this time to create digital twins of all their products using the Revit Family Editor. When construction projects return to normal, design engineers can specify equipment more quickly with digital models. By having their equipment specified in several approved projects, manufacturers can increase their sales.
When vendors' Revit families are available, the design process becomes easier and faster. Revit family creation is also a powerful marketing tool as design professionals can add specific products to their building models. Even if other suppliers offer equivalent equipment, customers will tend to purchase the components specified in the approved designs.
Are you an equipment supplier? Creating families in Revit can help increase your sales.
How to Use Family Creation in Revit Effectively
In Revit modeling, building elements are classified into three types of families with unique features:
- System families are part of Revit's internal database. They contain general building elements such as walls, floors and roofs. System families also include elements used in construction documents, including model views, annotations, and dimensions.
- Component families contain custom elements created by users. These components are independent of a specific building model and can be loaded into multiple projects. For this reason, component families are also called loadable families.
- In-place families contain custom elements, just like component families. However, these components are linked to a specific construction model. They are useful for modeling unique components that will not be used in other projects.
By creating a virtual library of their products, manufacturers can simplify the design process for engineers and architects. When an equipment supplier does not offer Revit families, design professionals must model components from scratch based on technical specifications.
Architects and engineers will prefer manufacturers that offer Revit product families as they are easier to work with. This serves as a marketing strategy, since the modeled components tend to be specified in more projects. Creating the Revit family also accelerates sales by making the design process faster. When a manufacturer offers a complete family of Revit products, there is a greater chance of having many components specified in the same project.
High-priority construction projects will be able to continue during the coronavirus outbreak, but equipment suppliers must prepare for a slowdown in sales. This is a great opportunity for vendors to focus on creating the Revit family to offer a complete digital library of their products. When construction activity returns to normal after the emergency, equipment suppliers who have their products modeled in Revit will be able to reactivate their sales more quickly.
How Revit Families Help Engineers and Architects
The building modeling process in Revit is simpler if the components have already been modeled individually. Otherwise, design professionals must create equipment models from scratch, expanding the design process. On the other hand, when Revit families are available, building system models are more easily created by combining family elements.
When manufacturers offer Revit product families, they also reduce the chance of errors. The components added to the building model are exactly as specified by the supplier, and this includes part dimensions and shapes. On the other hand, when design professionals need to recreate equipment without an existing model, clashes are more likely.
A Revit family must also be easy to use to be useful. Revit supports both hosted and independent families, and it's important to use the right type for each product line:
- Hosted families depend on other elements when added to the Revit model. For example, windows may be part of a hosted family that relies on walls.
- Standalone families can be added individually, without depending on another element of the building model.
Hosted families are useful when components are designed for very specific applications, as they help avoid specification errors. However, freestanding families offer more design flexibility. Equipment manufacturers can use a combination of hosted and standalone families to provide design flexibility while avoiding misuse of sensitive components.
When prefabrication is used, Revit families can make the project even faster. While prefabrication speeds up construction, equipment suppliers can speed up the design process by offering digital twins of their products.
